Controlling device for piano-playing attachments.



R. W. PAIN. CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR PIANO PLAYING ATTACHMENTS.APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1910.

980,554, Patented Ja 3, 1911.

w Inventor.

.4 by Atty v in all the. figures: Fi

-- end 10 of which also ROBERT W. PAIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONTROLLING-DEVICE FOR PIANO-PLAYING ATTACHMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an.'3, 191.]

Application filed June 28, 1910. Serial No. 569,306.

To all whom'it mayroncem:

Be it known that I, ROBERT \V. Pam. a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Controlling Devices for Piano-Playing Attachments, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in controlling devices for pianoplaying attachments and the object of my invention is to provide a newand improved instrument of this kind which is provided with the usuallever to be moved by the left hand for the purpose of applying the fortepedal mechanism of the piano and with an additional levercarried by saidforte lever which additional lever, when desired, serves for operatingthe mechanisms which controls the tension of the air which operates theplaying mechanism, thus enabling the operator to shift the forte pedallever andb means of thesame hand also to contro,

when desired, the means to regulate the tensionof the air, all of whichis simple in construction, compact and efl'ective and reliable in use.

In the accompanying drawings in which like letters of reference indicatelike parts re 1 is an elevation of part of the mechanism of a pianoplayer device showing my improvements. Figs. 2 and 3 are detall views. I

, The piano player mechanism 1 which may. be of any desiredtype isprovided with a lever 2 ivoted at 3 to swin in the vertical plane, t eupper handle en 4 of this lever rojectingthrough the vertical slot 5 inthe bottom 6 of the music box.

"By means of the lever 2 a suitable mechanism for depressing oroperating the orte pedal mechanism is actuated butfilus this is verywell known and forms no part of the present invention it need not bedescribed. The lever 2'is provided with a rigid laterally projecting arm7 to which at 8 an L shaped lever 9 is pivoted, the 'upper handlerojects through the slot 5 in the bottom 0 the music box and said Lshaped lever 9 is guided in its movement by a pin 11 projecting from.said L shaped lever 9 through the longitudinal slot 12 in the rigid arm13 secured on the lever 2. On the free end of the lower shorter arm ofthe L shaped lever 9, an adjustable button 14 is mounted which projectsfrom the bottom surface ofsaid lever for a purpose to be set forthhereinafter. A- lever 15 is pivoted at 16 to the front wall of theplayer mechanism, inside of the casing, and

'at its free end is connected by a downwardly extending link 17 withoneend of a lever 37 pivoted at 38 and connected by a rod 39 with an arm 18of a rock shaft 19 extending through the casing 20 containing the valve21 which controls the passage'of air from the player mechanism to themain wind chest in the well known manner, which valve at one end isconnected with the movable board 22 of the bellows 23 which. is held; in

open position by a spring 24. The fulcrum of this valve 21 is formed bya pin 25 on the free end of the arm 26 of the shaft 19 within the casing20. This valve 21 is opened and closed by the bellows 23 which closesthe valve to a greater extent as the tension increases and opens it whenthe tension decreases and is provided to maintain anormal tension in theplayer wind chest. By changing the fulcrum this normal tension can be.varied and as the arm 26 is swung down the fulcrum of the valve 21 isalso lowered and the normal opening of the passage controlled by thevalve 21 is increased and thus louder playing is produced. A spring 40serves for pulling downward that end of the lever 37 connected with therod 39.

The lever 15 carries the cam block 27'.di rectly below the horizontalarm of the L swung to the right. The upper surface of this camblock iscurved on a se mental line shaped lever 9 and upon which cam having itscenter at the pivota point 3 of y applying the forte pedal devicewithout in any way changing the position of the lever 15. However, whenthe handle end of the lever 9is pressed toward the handle end of thelever 2 the button 14 is lowered and if now the lever 2vwith the lever 9in the position just described are swung to the right the button 14acting on the cam edge of the cam block 27 depresses the same more orless according to the'distanee that the handle end of the lever 2 hasbeen moved toward the handle end of the lever 9 and thereby the withters Patent is 1. In a key musical instruments, the combination a manuallever for actuating the forte pedal, and a valve for adjusting the airtensionin the playing mechanism, of a lever 'the manual lever,

pivoted on said forte lever and mechanical means for transmitting motionfrom said additional lever to the above mentioned valve, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a pneumatic player attachment for key musical instruments, thecombination with a manual lever for actuating the forte pedal, and avalve in said mechanism, for controlling the tension of the air in theplaying mechanism, of a pivoted rod connected with said valve foradjusting the same, and a supplemental handle lever pivoted to themanual lever for actionupon the rod connected with .said valve,substantially as set forth. A k 3. 'In a pneumatic player attachment forwith a manual'lever for operating the forte pedal mechanism, and a valvefor controlling the tension air in the playing mechanism, of a pivotedrod connected to said valve, a

cam plate on said rod the cam edge of which.

is on a radius exten ing frgm'the pivot of a supplemental lever pivotedto the manual lever and mounted to, act on the said cam plate,substantially as set forth.

I Having described my invention what I claim as new-and desire to secureby Letpneumatic player attachment for key which the handle end of 'of avalve for controlling the air tension in mental lever pivoted to themusical instruments, the combination with a pivoted manual lever foractuating the pedal mechanism, and a music box provided in its bottomwith a slot through which the handle end of said lever projects, of avalve for controlling the air tension in the player mechanism, a pivotedrod con nected with said valve, a supplemental lever carried by the saidmanual lever, and having its upper end also extending throu h the slotin the bottom of the music box a jacent to the handle end of the manuallever, and a cam plate on said rod, on which cam plate the supplementallever can act, substantially as set forth. c

5. In a pneumatic player attachment for musical instruments, thecombination with a pivoted manual lever for actuating the pedalmechanism, and a music box pro-. vided in its bottom with a slot throughsaid lever projects,

the player mechanism,

I a'pivoted rod connected with said valve,

an L shaped su1pplemanual ever, and having its upper end also extendingthrough the slot inthe bottom of the music box adj acent' to thehandleendof the/manual leverfand'a cam plate on said rod, on which camplate the supplemental lever can act,

substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York,this 21st day of June A. D. 1910.

ROBERT'W. PAIN.

Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, R. G. BREEN.

